MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (June 16–23)
WIAA D4 BASEBALL: No. 2 Potosi/Cassville 2, No. 3 Reedsville 1 (11 innings)
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal
Chieftains beat Reedsville in 11 innings to advance to D4 state title game
GRAND CHUTE — Potosi/Cassville advanced to last Thursday’s D4 state championship game by outlasting No. 3 Reedsville in a marathon, drama-filled 11-inning state semifinal contest 2–1 at Fox Cities Stadium last Tuesday morning.
Potosi/Cassville junior third baseman Ben Infield scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning when freshman Lane Schaefer reached on a two-out error by Reedsville second baseman Landon Martz.
Infield led off the inning with a sharp single through the left side and advanced to second on a ground out by Reid Weber. He then moved over to third on a ground out to second base by junior River Sahr.
The Panthers (19–8) then intentionally walked senior Logan Rausch to face the freshman Schaefer.
Schaefer chopped a grounder to the right of Martz, who bobbled the ball trying to rush to get a throw to second base for an inning-ending force out. Rausch was safer at second and Infield easily scored the winning run from third.
“We felt like we were in control of the game, our coaching staff did an outstanding job of putting our defense in the correct positions and our guys made some great plays,” said Leibfreid. “I think some pressure was felt when we had runners on and we couldn’t get the winning run across. You have to give Reedsville credit, they made some excellent plays to keep us from scoring as well.”
Weber (5–3) earned the win with four innings of hitless relief, striking out two and walking two.
PC starter senior Kolton Vogelsberg was dialed in all day before departing after reaching the 100-pitch limit with seven complete innings.
He allowed just two hits and one unearned run in the top of the sixth on an error, a sac bunt and an RBI ground out to second base by Nate Christensen.
PC scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first when senior Damian Bauer reached on a one-out single, advanced to second on a walk by Vogelsberg and courtesy runner Kaia Kerkenbush scored on a two-out RBI single to rightfield by Weber.
The Chieftains had multiple chances to score in the game as they outhit the Panthers 10–2 in the game, but had runners thrown out at the plate in both the second and eighth innings.
WIAA Division 4 State Semifinal
No. 2 Potosi/Cassville 2, No. 3 Reedsville 1 (11 inn.)
(from Tuesday, June 16 @ Fox Cities Stadium, Grand Chute)
Reedsville............000 001 000 00 — 1 2 4
Potosi/Cassville....100 000 000 01 — 2 10 3
Reedsville hitters (19–8) — Ben Prochnow 1x5 (R), Lucas Lodel 0x3 (BB), Nathan Christensen 0x4 (RBI, BB), Chuck Meulemans 0x4 (BB), Jack Schwahn 0x5, Claeb Schwahn 1x3 (BB), Javen Matznick 0x3, Ethyn Sebo 0x1, Carter Preston 0x4, Zach Prochnow 0x4.
Potosi/Cassville hitters (20–7) — Alex Friederick 1x5 (BB), Damian Bauer 3x4, Kaia Kerkenbush 0x0 (R), Kolton Vogelsberg 0x5 (BB), Ben Infield 3x6 (R), Reid Weber 2x3 (RBI), River Sahr (0x4), Logan Rausch 1x4 (2BB), Lane Schaefer 0x4 (BB), Christopher Voelz 0x2, Evan Bauer 0x1, Aimslee Tasker 0x0.
HBP — PC: Sahr 2, Schaefer, Bauer 2. SB — R: Schwahn, Lodel; PC: Weber 2, Sahr, Friederick.
W — Reid Weber (5–3, 4IP, 0H, 0R, 2K, 2BB). L — Jack Schwahn (1.2IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 0K, 1BB).
